Israel Museum

Israel Museum Big Birthday Bash

rjstreets

Offering free admission at one of Jerusalem’s favorite sites,

 The Israel Museum’s 50th birthday party

attracted thousands of people.

cupcakes with Israel Museum art

Special cupcakes

drinks at Israel Museum party

and colorful drinks were provided for visitors.

children's wing Israel Musteum

The children’s wing and new play area were filled with children.

Israel Museum party actor

Actors entertained in the passageways.

actor in black costume

Not new statutes,

but men were dressed in black and moving

 slowly around entertaining the young crowd.

Israel Museum for chldren

I was impressed with these two girls

who were entertaining themselves,

using their paper art project to test the water currents

in the flowing waterfall near the steps.

Future scientists? For sure!

balloons at Israel Museum party

What is a big birthday party without lots of balloons?

Shimon Peres and Jams Snyder at Israel Museum

Former President Shimon Peres was at the opening of the museum

exactly 50 years earlier.

Museum Director James Snyder presented him with his old photo,

crowd at Israel Museum

as the crowd tried to get a view of the official ceremony.

art heart Jeff Koons

This heart by Jeff Koons which is on loan to the Israel Museum

for its 50th birthday year took a little help to unveil.

large cake with edible art work at Israel Museum

But the huge birthday cake with edible art works on top,

took only minutes to disappear,

people at Israel Museum party

 and those who got cake and balloons left smiling.

Teddy Kollek had a vision as mayor of Jerusalem, Israel,

and in 50 years the Israel Museum has matured.

Happy Birthday

and many more great years.

14 Favorite Hanukkah Lights

rjstreets

Hanukkah in Jerusalem, Israel, can be exhausting!

Candle lighting ceremonies seem to be everywhere,

with people arriving from all over the world.

On the first night of Hanukkah,

at the Kotel, Western Wall, at its large chanukiah,

after a lighting ceremony with dignitaries,

image menorah at Kosel

a man was covered in a white talit for the filming of a video.

image chanukiah

Chanukiot in Jerusalem restaurants are always a favorite.

image chanukiah from guitar

First night, first light in the Old City, this was most unusual,

image menorah

while simple can be beautiful.

image menorah lit at night Old City

This large electric-light covered chanukiah was near Jaffa Gate,

iamge Mamilla Mall chanukiah

and this fire-lit one in Mamilla Mall

image Mamilla Mall chanukah

that attracted a crowd below.

image Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem

The display of chanukiot in the Waldorf-Astoria lobby was new this year.

image unusual menorah

Candles were burning in the security booth outside the US consulate,

though I received permission to take this photo,

afterwards I was stopped by an over-anxious guard.

Thankfully, he did not try to delete my photos.

image chanukiah

A Chabad Chanukiah can be found on many corners,

but the one near Paris Fountain is a favorite.

image Gpo Hanukkah party

The holiday party for the international press

given by the Prime Minister was held at the Israel Museum this year.

PM Benjamin Netanyahu lit this 19th century brass chanukiah

which had been used in a synagogue in Central Europe.

image menorah in Israel Museum

Not as large as this one,

image israel museum

but also part of the Israel Museum’s extensive collection of chanukiot,

some centuries old and from around the world.

Though not a menorah

iamge old photo in Israel Museum

the lights in their eyes are certainly bright.

This photo of Natan and Avital Sharansky

with Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Shamir

as they leave Ben Gurion airport after arriving in Israel

finally free from Soviet prison,

 is one of many in a new Israel Museum photography exhibit.

And from our source of the sukkah on a camel,

image making ice chanukiah

a menorah of ice.

image unusual menorah

It was coming along, but sorry, it was a long day and busy week.

 I did not stay to see what happened when it was lit.

Hanukkah,

Xanuka

no matter how you spell it,

iamge Hanukkah

a great miracle happened here,

eight days to celebrate,

iamge suffganitot

as those suffganiot keep coming..in so many colors and tastes.

image Hebrew sign Hanukkah

Happy Hannukah!